Jones to chair Apalachee Regional Planning Council
The Apalachee Regional Planning Council has unanimously selected Franklin County Commissioner Ricky Jones as chair of its 24-member board.
ARPC is one of 10 regional planning councils in the state. Established in 1977, the council is a regional convener and provides technical assistance in the program areas of economic/community development, emergency planning, transportation, housing, and resiliency.
The Apalachee Region consists of Franklin, Gulf, Liberty, Wakulla, Calhoun, Gadsden, Jackson, Jefferson, and Leon counties and their municipalities.
Jones was first appointed to the Apalachee Regional Planning Council Board in 2017. His drive and determination to facilitate regional collaboration continues to be a defining asset to the council, and the region as a whole.
“I am honored to serve as ARPC chair and look forward to continued collaboration on behalf of the Apalachee Region,” he said.
In January 2020, the ARPC elected Jones as vice chair under the leadership of Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier. “It was a pleasure to serve as chair of the ARPC board alongside Commissioner Jones,” Dozier said. “He demonstrated great thoughtfulness and innovation in the position, and I am confident that Commissioner Jones will continue to provide excellent leadership in his new role as ARPC chair.”
In addition, the ARPC board unanimously selected Jackson County Commissioner Jim Peacock as vice-chair, and Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter as secretary/treasurer. Peacock has served on the board since 2016, and Porter was first appointed to the board in 2021.
Several new members have also been appointed to the ARPC board, including Sebrina Brown, Carrabelle city commissioner; Sandy Quinn, Jr., Gulf County commissioner; Doyle Brown, Liberty County commissioner; Johnny Paul, Wewahitchka city commissioner; Kim Applewhite, city clerk of Marianna; and Rick Minor, Leon County commissioner.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.